The plan
Six moves, 18 working sets, about 60 minutes with a warm-up. Chest work comes first because the heavy press needs your best effort. Triceps come last, after the presses and dips have already warmed them up.
| # | Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barbell bench press | 4 × 6–8 | 2–3 min |
| 2 | Incline dumbbell press (30° bench) | 3 × 8–10 | 2 min |
| 3 | Cable fly (pulleys at shoulder height) | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s |
| 4 | Dips (assisted if needed) | 3 × 8–12 | 90 s |
| 5 | Overhead cable triceps extension | 3 × 10–12 | 60–90 s |
| 6 | Rope pushdown | 2 × 12–15 | 60 s |
Before set one, do 5 minutes of easy cardio, then 2 or 3 lighter bench sets: the empty bar for 10, about half your working weight for 5, and about 75% for 3.
The rules that make it work:
- Heavy press first. In the 2026 ACSM position stand, strength rose most when an exercise came early in the session, with heavy loads and 2 to 3 sets.
- Overhead triceps before pushdowns. In a 2023 study, triceps trained with the arm overhead grew about 1.4 times more than with the arm at the side, even with lighter weights.
- Twice a week. One session gives your chest about 13 sets counting dips. A second, lighter session puts you well past the 10 sets a week the ACSM review links to more muscle growth.
Where it fits in your week
| Split | Chest and tricep day | Second hit |
|---|---|---|
| Push pull legs | Push day | Second push day, lighter |
| 4-day split | Day 1 | Day 4, same moves, 8–15 reps |
| Bro split | Monday | None, so add 2 sets to each move |
If you run a push pull legs split, this session is your push day. Add 3 sets of shoulder presses at the end if your plan has no separate shoulder day.
On the lighter day, keep the same six moves but drop the bench press to 3 × 8–10 and add 2 reps to the top of every other range.
Get this week built for your gym.
Plan your workout
How to pick the weight and reps
Use the rep range as your guide, not a number you saw online.
- First week: pick a weight you could lift 2 or 3 more times at the end of each set. That's the effort target the ACSM position stand supports. Training all the way to failure did not consistently add results.
- Moving up: when you hit the top of the range on every set, add weight next session. That's usually 5 lb (2 kg) on the barbell, the next pair of dumbbells, or one plate on the cable stack.
- If you miss reps: keep the weight and aim to beat last week's total by one or two reps.
- Overhead extension: start about a third lighter than your pushdown weight. In the 2023 study, the overhead arm used 34 to 39% lighter loads and still grew more.
- Dips: if you can't do 8 clean reps, use the assisted dip machine or a band. Once you pass 12 easily, hold a dumbbell between your feet.
Stop the set if form breaks: bouncing the bar off your chest, flaring elbows on dips, or swinging the rope.
Swaps for any gym
| If you can't do | Swap to | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | Dumbbell bench press or machine chest press | 4 × 6–8 |
| Incline dumbbell press | Incline machine press or incline barbell press | 3 × 8–10 |
| Cable fly | Pec deck or dumbbell fly | 3 × 10–12 |
| Dips | Close-grip bench press | 3 × 8–10 |
| Overhead cable extension | Overhead dumbbell extension, two hands | 3 × 10–12 |
| Rope pushdown | Band pushdown or dumbbell kickback | 2 × 12–15 |
Training with only dumbbells? The chest workouts with dumbbells guide has a full session.
If a move doesn't feel right on your shoulders, use the swap and keep the same sets and reps.
How Nuvela sets up chest and tricep day
The Nuvela app builds your week from a few questions: your goal, your experience, where you train, and how many days and minutes you have. It places chest and tricep work on the right days for your split and sets every weight. Log your sets and the next weights adjust. If the dip station is taken, swap the move in one tap, and every exercise in your plan comes with a video. To see a week built from your answers, try the workout planner.
Common questions
Is it good to train chest and triceps together?
Yes. Your triceps already work during every press, so training them right after chest saves time and fits push pull legs, upper lower and 4-day splits. The trade-off: your triceps start a little tired, so put the overhead extension first among the triceps moves.
How many exercises should a chest and tricep workout have?
Five to seven is plenty. Four for chest (two presses, a fly, dips) and two for triceps gives about 18 hard sets in an hour. More moves usually means less effort per set.
How often should I do a chest and tricep workout?
Twice a week works for most people. The ACSM review linked 2 or more sessions a week to more strength and 10 or more weekly sets to more muscle growth. Two sessions reach that without one marathon day.
How long should a chest and tricep workout last?
About 60 minutes with warm-up and the rest times above. Short on time? Do the first five moves with 2 sets each and rest 90 seconds: that takes about 40 minutes.
Should I train chest or triceps first?
Chest first. Tired triceps limit how much you can press, and the press is where you lift the heaviest weight of the day.
Sources
- ACSM Position Stand, Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (2026). 137 systematic reviews, more than 30,000 participants: strength went up most with heavy loads (80% of 1RM or more), 2 to 3 sets, the exercise early in the session and 2 or more sessions a week; muscle size with 10 or more sets a week. Training to failure did not consistently change results.
- Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position, European Journal of Sport Science (2023). 21 adults, cable elbow extensions, 5 sets of 10, twice a week for 12 weeks: whole triceps grew 19.9% overhead vs 13.9% with the arm at the side, with 34 to 39% lighter loads overhead.
- Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Journal of Sports Sciences (2017). 15 studies: each extra weekly set went with a 0.37% larger gain in muscle size; higher weekly volume beat lower volume.
Related guides
- 4 Day Workout Split: 3 Layouts and a Full Plan
- Chest Workouts With Dumbbells: Home and Gym Plan
- Tricep Exercises With Dumbbells: 6 Moves and a Plan
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